


Old Wounds

by Healy



Category: Beat the Champ - The Mountain Goats (Album)
Genre: Gen, Kayfabe Compliant, Post-Canon, Winter, i think
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-20
Updated: 2015-12-20
Packaged: 2018-05-07 21:29:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5471423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Healy/pseuds/Healy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Erich Rana gets an invitation from an old partner, which opens up some old wounds.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Old Wounds

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mithen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mithen/gifts).



Erich Rana stood on the porch, wondering if he had the right house. He shivered in the cold. He didn’t usually stay out this late, or go out this far, but if Aaron called him… He shook his head. He had to find out why Aaron invited him over, especially after what happened with Sullivan.

Erich’s thoughts were interrupted by a big tall man opening the door. “Erich? That you?” the man asked.

Erich nodded. “Yeah…” He sniffled. “Hey, Aaron.”

“Well, come on in, buddy! You could have knocked, you know.” With that, he let Erich inside.

******

Aaron watched as Erich took off his flimsy jacket, balled it up, and shoved it into a corner by the door.

“Tough weather we’re having, right?” asked Aaron.

“Certainly colder than it ever was in Texas.”

Aaron laughed. “I take it this is your first trip to Minnesota?”

“Well, I wouldn’t come around here under normal circumstances,” said Erich. He climbed up the front stairs into the living room, where he saw bunches of posters and sheet reviews and other wrestling junk hung up on the walls. One of them, a ratty old clipping, caught his eye. “Hey, is that…?”

Erich gently took it off the wall for a closer look. It read:

**FROG-MANIAC AND AARON GRIEVANCE FORM IMPRESSIVE NEW TEAM**

_Watch out, Sullivan Smash: there’s two new wrestlers gunning for your title, and it doesn’t look like they want to share it with you and your cronies._

_The tag-team of Aaron Grievance (from Oklahoma) and Frog-Maniac (from parts unknown) first started three months ago, when Aaron saved the masked Frog-Maniac from a humiliating defeat at the hands of El Jeero at the Parksburg Rumblr Royale. It was a real scramble of a fight; even now I can see the grit and bustle of it all in my mind’s eye. El Jeero was about to rip off the mask of our favorite frog-themed friend, when out of nowhere Aaron jumped in, gave Jeero one heck of a brush off, and pulled the ‘Maniac’s mask down past his face. Then, after making sure Frog-Maniac was alright, they both sprang into action, pummeling foe after foe, until…_

_No words could express my shock when the dust finally cleared and both Frog-Maniac and Aaron Grievance were declared the victors. I feel like I was a witness to history in that moment. In the months since, Aaron and the ‘Maniac have gone on to win fight after fight, and some say they’re after the tag team title belt, currently held by Big Bad Sullivan Smash and his Sullivan’s Satanic Soldiers. There’s a lot of folks out there who’d give anything to see that vile man dethroned, so Aaron Grievance and Frog-Maniac have a lot of fans rooting for them. I wish them the best of luck myself._

“It’s the first article written about our partnership, by our old friend Joe Wheeler,” said Aaron.

“Man, he’s a way worse writer than I remember.” Erich put it back on the wall. “So, what’s for dinner?”

“Nothing much,” Aaron replied. “Just some chili cheese dogs I picked up at the store.”

“Are you kidding?” asked Erich. “I love those things! Where’s the kitchen in this place?” His face brightened for the first time that day.

******

Erich sat down at Aaron’s dining room table, greedily downing chili dogs.

“Sheesh, I didn’t know you liked these so much,” said Aaron, a little weirded out.

“Oh, I used to have them all the time when I was wrestling after I teamed up with….” And then he stopped himself. _With Sullivan,_ was how the rest of the sentence went, but somehow he couldn’t bear to say that, not with Aaron around.

Aaron put a hand on his shoulder. “You wanna take a walk outside, buddy?”

Erich brushed off his hand. “Yeah. Yeah, I guess that’d help calm my nerves a bit.”

Aaron wrapped up what was left of the chili dog dinner while Erich picked up his jacket and put it back on. Then they went out. It had started snowing in the past hour, and the world outside was a breathtaking shade of white. Lights from the houses on the street lit up thousands of small twinkling snowflakes falling from the night sky. Aaron and Erich walked in silence for a few minutes, neither one wanting to break the mood.

Finally, Aaron spoke up. “You know, there’s a bar near here at the corner of Winslow Pike and Marion Road. If you want a drink, we could stop by, maybe get a beer…”

“Hmm,” said Erich. He didn’t really drink, but he could use the break. “Could I get a soda?”

Aaron laughed. “Sure, kid,” he said. “In fact, they even serve milkshakes down there, if you want one.”

Erich laughed, too. “Yeah, a milkshake would be nice.”

******

Erich stared at his banana-mint milkshake on the counter. He hadn’t taken a single bite of it.

“Uh, kid, you know I got you that so you could eat it, right?” said Aaron, a little concerned. He took a sip from his beer. “Is something wrong?”

Erich covered his face with his hands and groaned.

“Something _is_ wrong, isn’t it? C’mon, tell me what’s eating at you.”

“Aaron, I really don’t want to talk about it.” Erich clenched his hand into a fist.

“Why not?”

“Because I **don’t want to talk about it**.” Erich’s fist tightened.

“It’s okay, Erich! You can tell me what’s wrong--”

“ _ **Shut up!!**_ ” Erich slammed his fist against the counter. It knocked over his milkshake, spilling minty ice cream all over the bar. “Uhh…”

“Hey, bartender, can we get some napkins over here?” Aaron called out. Then, to Erich: “Geez, kid, that was uncalled for. Why’d you go and do that?”

For a second Erich felt like he was going to cry, but he kept his head about him. “I’m sorry, Aaron,” he sighed. “I’m just… still pretty torn up about what I did with Sullivan.”

“You still worried about that, Erich? That was over a year ago.”

“I know, but…” Erich’s voice was beginning to crack. “Oh geez, it’s just all so screwed up, you know? I only joined up with him because I was scared for my life—but, like, what kind of excuse is _that_ , anyway?”

“Erich…”

“I mean, what, some guy beats me up in the ring, and suddenly I do his dirty work for him, along with ten or twenty brainwashed assholes? But, but, at the time I was so freaked out, and he even threatened my mother, for God’s sake, never mind how he got her address--”

“Erich…”

“And where were _you_ through all this, Aaron? Suddenly couldn’t make any time for your old partner, even though you knew he was going through a tough time, even though you knew--”

“Erich, I’m sorry.” Aaron looked at him like he was going to cry. “I… know I haven’t been the best partner. I was going through a rough patch myself at the time, what with the drugs and boozing and all. But I know that doesn’t excuse anything, and… I’m really, truly sorry.”

“Oh,” said Erich, flatly. “Is that why you called me up here? To apologize?”

“That, aaand I wanted to know if you’d like to wrestle with me again.” Aaron took a pamphlet out of his coat packet. “We could join a local circuit, get some new ring identities.”

Erich shrugged. “I’ll have to think about it. But thanks.”

A stillness settled over the bar. The only thing that could be heard were the clinking of glasses and music softly coming out of a beat up jukebox. Then, Aaron spoke up.

“Do you want me to buy you another milkshake?”

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to Drayton for the beta.


End file.
